TOPIC: Output SDI MONITOR Aspect Ratio issues

Hi, I moved to FCPX for a while now, find it fantastic. But, just installed a whole new setup, that includes a Blackmagic mini monitor 4k > mini converter SDI to HDMI 6g > LG OLED.

I'm working on feature film that is offline now (2048x858 2k dci 2.39). The actual footage is 2048x1080 - it was RED 8k proxy created in camera. The FCPX GUI, when I set the project to 2048x858, works fine, with the black bars on top and Botton. But... Through the external setup (Blackmagic, etc.) , on LG OLED 4k, it doesn't work. The image stretches to cover the whole area, no matter what I do.

I Davinci it works fine.

I noticed that FCPX output, on Preferences, does not change, when I change Blackmgic's mini monitor app setup to 2k DCI. It remais, on FCPX, saying that the output is 2048 x 1080, even if the project and footage (and Blackmagic setup) are set to 2048x858.

I could use letterboxes, but it's a pain to work with,

I don't know if this is a FCP issue/incompatibility, or if there is a solution. Sounds strange that this wouldn't work.

I tried half a dozen forums already, no-one seems to know or care. So PLEASE, could anyone, fellow FCP users, shed some light on this?

I have the Exact Same issue, but I'm using a direct to HDMI output from my BMD card, I have been trying to find out how to fix this fro over a yer now and no luck, I even tried with a AJA card but same result, seems that FCP docent send Black bars for not deformation the image.. I ended up using a thunderbolt to HDMI adaptor, that way it did worked, but it has a hit on the graphic card and is not ideal... hope some one has a better solution.

This is very bad news... If we can't fix that, it means that FCPX cannot handle a "classic" pro environment, with an external monitor, on 2.39 projects? If that's the case, they should really address it, specially after so many successful attempts on making FCPX better and pro. I installed it in my production company, and practically "forced" editors to learn it. Now they all love it. But this alone might push away a lot of editors. Does anyone have a solution?

You don't say whether you have tried the aspect ratio controls for the TV in its settings. What you are looking for is a setting that displays pixel for pixel on the TV i.e. every pixel sent is displayed as one pixel with no stretch or zoom. The correct setting is often not so obvious because manufacturers always have a new way of describing the simplest thing. It's sometimes stated as 1:1, True HD, etc.

You don't say which model TV you have, but having a look at the User Manual for one of LG's OLED 4K models, it says there is a setting in Picture/Aspect Ratio called Just Scan which implies this may be pixel for pixel. Also, in All-Direction Zoom, there is Adjust Zoom Ratio but doesn't say what this gets you. It's all worth a try if you haven't already.

If DaVinci was truly sending out 2048x 848 it may have been sending a signal to the TV to scan at this aspect ratio which may have been fine if the TV was in full Auto. FCPX probably doesn't do this.

The most frustrating thing for me is that I can’t find any one talking about this on the web (this is the first time I find some one with the same issue), and when no one is talking about it, it usually goes without fix... hope this start moving things.

"The actual footage is 2048x1080" so if I understand you correctly are actually setting your are actually setting your project to get a 2:39 ratio, an other way (work around) would be to set a crop on all footage and keep the original camera size for the project until the "share" operation then changing the project 2048x858. I know it's not elegant but this is not too difficult and this way you are not stock with a letterbox filter.

I know Davinci does it all since it was originally created for film, but it is lousy to do creative editing in and for that FCPX is the BEST , I only do finishing with Davinci.

You could also shoot anamorphic , the problems would be different but if you are only monitoring on your 4k LG then the "unsqeeze" would go the other way.

No, that would work, because the problem is that FCPX doest sent the proper black bars to the A/V output when using an external video card, so that would only deform in a deferent but worst way the footage. This is something that premier, AVID and even FCP7 do correctly, so it should be so hard to fix in the software side.

Very weird indeed, nowhere people are talking about this.
At least it is good to know that's a real issue, not some configuration error. So i'll stop trying to fix it. My workaround was to create a compound clip with black bars on top and bottom, and put it above everything. As it's an 8k project, there's a lot of reframing going on, and cropping the image wouldn't let me do that. May someone else with the same problem, other solution?

Another thing is that the monitor is UHD, and the film is 4K DCI, so it crops the image on the sides. Letterboxing is a bad bad workaround. I have to keep checking on my computer monitor all the time for the real framing.

Yes, It's a mess indeed.... But thanks for the advice. Still hoping someone would have a solution. As far as the TV SET, its a LG OLED 55 B7. I tried all aspect ratio solutions, including "just scan", which appears to include some more of the picture, as for going to UHD. The squeezes are limited and useless, doesn't let you go down enough to create black bars. Should bu such an easy solution, but... FCPX is the best, I agree, and don't intend to move away any time soon. But working with a top layer kinds of take all the fun and functionality of it

I have tried this, and no, sadly it seems to be FCPX the one sending the signal wrong, as with any other program (Media Composer, Premiere, Resolve and even Light Works) the image looks perfect with the black bars... but FCPX sends the anamorphic bizzar thing

Just to let you know another test I did : direct HDMI to the monitor from the computer or via a usb C to HDMI selected as AV output works perfectly with a custom 2:39 project. I know this is very questionable for colour grading but for easy monitoring or client viewing the cut it is functionnal then switch HDMI input on monitor and to BMD box when grading with Davinci ...

Yes, I have used it like that before, the thing is that in this way it takes a hit a your GPU performance, and it makes for a les reliable set up, its not ideal, but an actual work around, it makes my Black Magic card be a waste of money when using FCPX, still makes me angry that it works, literally, with any other software around...

Nop, I have a HDMI BMD card, not an SDI one and the result is the same , is not an issue with the type of I/O in the card, is an issue with the way FCPX communicates with the card... I would think is something that BMD could fix on their end, but again, if every other software does it correctly I would prefer to be fixed in FCPX side.

All I am saying is that direct FCPX apple HDMI feed to monitor does not produce the problem , so if we feed this to BMD HDMI to SDI converter and that this device is faithful to this feed , it could work. It would be interesting if someone that has this converter would test that.